“It takes more than surf and sand to make a great beach,” McLeod said in the release. “You have to have great management in place, limiting development and access. People have to understand that a beach is a natural resource to be respected and protected.”

McLeod praised the Gulf Islands National Seashore for its temperate water and white sand.

This accolade comes on the heels of a March USA Today poll in which readers voted the seashore as the best Florida beach. In February, TripAdvisor ranked Pensacola Beach as the fifth best beach in the nation.